MYSURU: In all, 18 labourers who were allegedly forced to work in a brick kiln under exploitative conditions were rescued by the police, revenue officials and social activists at Bevanahalli village of T Narasipura taluk in Mysuru district on Monday. Three brick kiln owners were also arrested.
The arrested persons are Yathiraj, Girish and Mahadev, who had held the victims in bondage for four to 20 years. Of the rescued individuals, 16 belong to nearby villages, while two are from Vellore district in Tamil Nadu.
The rescue operation was carried out by officials from the District Legal Services Authority, along with the tahsildar and representatives from the Labour Department, Department of Women and Child Development and police. NGOs Vikasana and Madilu had brought the case to the attention of the authorities.
An FIR has been registered at the Bannur police station in Mysuru under provisions of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and Sections 143 (Trafficking of Persons), 127, 74, and 115 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
All survivors have been housed at an accommodation arranged by the district administration. Each of them are entitled to receive release certificates and Rs 30,000 initial compensation from the administration within 48 hours of the rescue.
The case came to light after a married couple escaped from the brick kiln last Friday, leaving behind their two sons at the work site. The couple fled to a relative’s home in Mysuru after repeated and severe physical assault by the owners. But on Sunday, owners traced them, forcibly brought them back to the kiln, assaulted them again and confined them in a room, where they were held until their rescue.
The family had accepted an advance of Rs 75,000 from the employer eight years ago and had since been working at the kiln. Their two children, aged 9 and 13, were also forced into labour. While the younger child attended school, he was required to work before and after school hours.
The family worked from 5 am to 6 pm every day and together earned Rs 500–1,000 per week, similar to other families at the kiln. The employer supplied rice at Rs 30 per kg and this cost was deducted from their weekly wages. For other provisions, only one male member of a family was occasionally permitted to leave the premises. Families were not allowed to leave the work site together or visit their homes and relatives, even for any family events.
Despite years of labour under these conditions, the employers refused to release the workers, claiming repayment of the initial advance with exorbitant interest. Workers who requested to leave or raised concerns about their work were frequently subjected to physical abuse, including beatings with sticks. Some victims sustained injuries that made it difficult for them to walk.